In recent years new forms of self-employment have been created that are not in accordance with either classic gainful employment or traditional self-employment. These new self-employed persons can be found in all branches of industry yet they are said to have a leading role in branches requiring highly qualified knowledge. Still, the debate is lacking empirical facts according to the actual situation of single self-employed persons and small businesses. A cooperative project with the DGB Bildungswerk NRW e.V. was created in order to find out more about the experiences of new self-employed persons and about the specific problems of their working world. Could there be need for support? In fact, it would be rash to locate all new self-employed persons on the side of either winners or losers of the changing economic situation. Even during the economic boom in the year 2000 not all self-employed were winners. Whereas some of them successfully share the economic risk with their clients others fail to profit from this possibility. Thus a part of the new self-employed persons needs and seeks for new forms of support.